Forbidden Fruit
by Mystic Dragon
Summary: AU, Abe/Mihashi.  Set in Feudal Japan, a young metalsmith apprentice finds himself in over his head when it turns out that the teen he saved from thieves in the market is the son of a man on the same feudal tier level as the daimyo.
1. Chapter 1

Don't own Oofuri, don't sue.

This was written for a "cliché" challenge at SHINE, where we were given a list of clichés that we could write about, and allowed to choose a fandom. I chose Oofuri, obviously…as well as "Feudal Japan", "Rich/Poor", and "Secret".

I did a bunch of research before I set to write this, so hopefully, the terms are correct. This takes place sometime during the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates (shortly before the Sengoku Jidai/Warring States).

Something to note when the characters give their names: In Feudal Japan, family names were only allowed for those with high status, or have done a favor for the daimyo or nobles. Thus, everyone introduces themselves by first/given name rather than their family name.

Another note is that the merchant class were highly looked down upon in Feudal Japan. Also is that villages were divided into sections, and the higher classes were often separate from the lower classes.

Other notes/terms for the chapter:

Niisan: Big Brother

Kaasan: Mother

Tousan: Father

Otou-sama: Father (very respectful way to say it)

Daimyo: Ruling overlord of the land

Shoen: Noble(s)

Doushin: Feudal Police officers

Hinin: Outcasts (thieves, bards, etc) that make up a rank lower than the four-tier system

Ainu: Another outcast group from the feudal ladder/four-tier system, they're mostly ethnic minorities and slaves

Mon: Type of currency during the feudal era (along with less valuable imitation coins due to shortage of the real thing), traded from China

Haori: Lightweight silk jacket worn over a kimono

Katana: Japanese sword (also known as the "samurai sword") with a length that exceeds 23.6 inches.

Wakizashi: Short Japanese sword between 11.8 and 23.6 inches

Tsuba: Hand guard of a Japanese sword

* * *

Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 1

"Shun, _don't_."

It was simple, it was low, and it was also a very stern warning combined with a slight growl to punctuate the sentence.

A boy of eleven with messy black hair and large blue eyes pouted at the taller boy that stood with him. Both wore the typical tunic and pants of commoners in the Feudal era, as well as tabi (sandals) on their feet.

The older was fifteen years old, and though he wasn't exactly the tallest for his age, he was still larger than his brother, which helped to give him some leverage. Like Shun, he had black hair that stuck out everywhere, and blue eyes, though his were more of a charcoal blue color.

"Aww…but aren't you curious, Takaya-niisan?" Shun tried, once again, to peer over the fence that separated the higher class folk (like the daimyo and samurai) from the lower class peasants, artisans, and merchants.

Takaya grabbed Shun by the back of his tunic and yanked him down. "Not curious enough to risk being decapitated for being caught in the territory of the local daimyo. Get down from there, and let's keep going. We have to get to the market to sell the goods."

Shun groaned. "But I _hate_ that! Everyone looks at us like we're filth!"

"Better than the looks that the Ainu and Hinin get. Now, come on."

Again, Shun pouted, but let his brother drag him out of the back alley.

"Besides, it's not like we're completely merchant class…we just sell what we make instead of passing them onto someone of the merchant class."

Shun sighed.

That was where their parents were, as a matter of fact. Though the two boys learned the trade of metalsmithing; more specifically, katanas, they weren't nearly as accomplished as their parents. Thus, it was their job to sell the creations at the merchant fair area. Currently, Takaya carried the bundle of katanas on his back to be displayed and sold in the market.

Their village wasn't a large one, but it wasn't tiny, either. It was moderately sized, so there was a bit of a walk between the artisan district and the merchant district. Of course, that meant there was even more of a walk between those districts and the daimyo section, which was blocked by fences between buildings and houses.

The market was its usual hustle and bustle of activity, as some folks were able to operate out of their homes and sold their wares in the buildings nearby. Most of the people, however, set up stands, carts, and tables on the sides of the road.

If merchants were lucky, they could get some Mon out of the deals; otherwise, they had to settle for Ming Imitations or trading of goods.

The Abe family had made a few Mon, since katana blades were a necessity amongst the samurai class, which was needed to guard the daimyo.

"I still don't see why I had to come," Shun groused.

Takaya rolled his eyes. "So you can learn how the market works. I'll probably be helping tousan make the weapons, since I sometimes have to hang back and test them, anyway."

"But we're not _merchants_…why do I hafta learn how to act like one?"

Takaya rolled his eyes. "Because, dope, we sell our own goods instead of cutting a deal with a merchant. Kaasan keeps up the house, tousan makes the weapons, we sell them. It's worked, but the number of samurai are growing; we'll need to make even more weapons if we hope to compete with other 'smiths. Thus, I'll be helping tousan soon, so you need to learn how to do this."

Shun just sighed dramatically as he helped to set up the weapons at their stall. "I wish _we_ could cross into daimyo property. That'd be cool. It must be great to be a daimyo and have all that freedom and _stuff_!"

Takaya grinned. "Well, you keep on wishing it…you, and every other person that isn't a shogun, daimyo, or samurai…"

Shun scowled at him.

Takaya snickered as he finished setting up the weapons. _Though, if I was perfectly honest with myself, I'd admit that I, too, would like to leave the poverty behind. Who doesn't wish for that, barring the rich that already have it?_

* * *

It had been a slow day so far, as common folk had little to no use for katanas (at least, if they wanted to keep their heads on their shoulders). The only days where the family really profited were when the nobles came into the marketplace to purchase equipment for their vassals.

That, or just squander money around at the other vendors.

Shun yawned, then glanced at his brother. "Niisan…won't that expression make customers go away?"

Thus said, as Takaya had an extremely bored look on his face, combined with a frown and a slightly stoic mask.

Compared to the smiles that the other vendors gave, as well as shouts for people to come buy their merchandise, their own stand was very quiet if not for Shun asking questions now and then.

"Nah. They don't care, so long as I don't mouth off to a buyer. If they're here to buy, the just want the item, and nothing more. We're nothing but dirt on the bottom of their tabi, so it doesn't matter."

Shun cringed at the analogy, but couldn't argue it. "But…but the other merchants are all loud and smiling! And people are going over there!"

Takaya let out a long suffering sigh before he spoke, "Shun. Those are false smiles. Like the higher ups don't really give a damn about us, most merchants don't give a damn about their buyers, so long as the person buys their merchandise. So, they try to hook people to their stands with false smiles and quick talking. All those smiles you see? Yea…they're fake. Same with the interest the merchants sometimes show their customers."

Shun's shoulders slumped. "Seriously? That sucks."

Takaya nodded and resisted another yawn.

"I'll be different, then! I'll smile and greet our customers with enthusiasm!"

Takaya glanced at his brother. "Just don't be _too_ enthusiastic. _Our_ customers would happen to be servants of the daimyo, or on occasion, the daimyo, himself. You have to be _extremely_ cautious around them. The Daimyo treats his village fairly well, but there are still laws in place. Oh, and remember to bow if they come around here. That's very important…"

"Jeez…you worry too much, niisan!"

"I'd rather my little brother have his head on his shoulders. Sorry if it's a crime to worry about that."

Shun flushed. It wasn't often that Takaya actually expressed his concern, as he was rather hesitant (Shun would dare to call it "shy") about displaying his emotions. The little Abe had no doubt that Takaya loved them, he just didn't know how to properly express it. As such, he often came across as cold and uncaring, which was far from the truth.

"I…I understand, niisan…" Shun finally managed to stammer out.

Takaya gave a nod, and some of the worry in his eyes decreased. After all, when they were out at the market, his little brother was his responsibility. He loved his family, and wouldn't do anything to put them in danger.

It was Shun's habit of being prone to distraction that had him pointing at the alley that they had explored in just earlier. "I think I hear someone calling for help, niisan…"

"Hah?" Takaya glanced up, just in time to see a boy stumble out of said alley.

The guy was average height for his age of fifteen, though perhaps an inch or two shorter than Takaya. He had unusually light brown hair, and wide hazel eyes. There was dirt on various spots of his clothing, including his vest, which was splashed a bit with mud. His tunic probably cost a lot more money than most, just by the way it fit, and the colors weren't as bland as the commoner tunics. In fact, it looked like he was even wearing a haori.

Though, that was difficult to tell what with all the dirt and mud on his clothing.

A few people in the market paused to take in the scene. Then, mass hysteria hit.

Thieves weren't at all uncommon, particularly ones that lurked around the market to try and shoplift an item or two. It was rare for them to go after a target specifically instead of for an item, but perhaps this kid had money on him that the thieves saw.

Either way, nobody wanted to get involved, since there were two thieves, and both were armed. Both were breaking the law not only by stealing (or attempting to rob another person), but also since the two both held wakizashi.

Someone, or multiple 'someones', was shouting for the doushin in hopes that they were in the vicinity to arrest the thieves.

Most people, however, were taking cover behind their stands, or in the case of the shoppers, near the merchant stands they were closest to.

After all, nobody wanted to make themselves a target to thieves.

Takaya, however, wasn't about to watch another teen get sliced up to death to satisfy the thieves. The doushin were probably on their way; the village wasn't very large, so they most likely heard the ruckus from another market street and were headed over.

However, and the elder Abe knew this, that would be meaningless if the thieves killed their victim and escaped before the law officers got there.

"Shun, stay down, and if anything happens…tell kaasan and tousan that I'm sorry."

Shun only had time to blink before Takaya grabbed one of the katana that was on display at their shop, foregoing the sheath that sat next to it, and raced off towards the nearby commotion.

The victim cringed and held up his hands as if to ward of the sharp weapon that headed towards him now that he had tripped and fallen to the ground. He thought that, by at least getting to a populated area, the thieves would run or someone would help him.

However, everyone seemed just as afraid of the thieves.

Then again, the thieves had weapons, and unless some of the potters decided that clay made good shields, nobody was going to go bare-handed against a pointy object.

The teen squeezed his eyes shut, and rather than feel a lot of pain, he heard the clash of steel on steel. Since his scrapes throbbed, that meant he wasn't dead.

Thus, he risked opening his eyes…

…and his mouth promptly dropped open.

There was a commoner boy in front of him that had blocked the blade from the taller thief with an obviously new katana.

The thief was momentarily surprised, which gave Takaya the advantage. He slid the blade down so that the tsuba of both weapons met, then gathered his strength and pushed out and upwards.

This left the thief exposed, as he stumbled back.

However, the other thief, who was thinner than the first, was ready to take his place, and slashed at Takaya.

Takaya stepped to the side slightly to dodge, but not so much that he would be putting the victim at risk again from the weapons. Of course, this earned him a small cut on his left shoulder, but it was shallow, and with adrenaline pumping through his system, he barely felt it.

Takaya lashed out with his foot, and caught the recovering tall thief in the midriff since said thief had raised his weapon. As that happened, he managed to block the second strike from the thin thief, then slammed his foot down on the thief's foot.

The thin thief howled in pain as the tall one gasped to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.

Now, Takaya wasn't a samurai, and thus, there would be high punishment for killing another person, even if they were a thief. He also wasn't about to commit homicide, either. He could hear the whistles of the officers as they approached, but that wouldn't be enough; once these two recovered, they would go at Takaya full force.

Thus, Takaya quickly flipped the katana in his hands so that the dull end faced outward rather than the sharp end, and executed a perfect shoulder slash to the tall thief, who had regained his balance and went in with an overhead slash.

The slash never hit Takaya, as the katana was able to strike at a longer distance than the wakizashi, and thus, it was Takaya's blow that landed first.

The thief stumbled a bit with a grimace of pain, but Takaya didn't give him time to recover this time, and quickly performed an overhead strike to the collarbone.

There was a cracking sound, and the tall thief dropped like a sack of rice.

By then, the thin thief, had recovered, and went at Takaya again.

Takaya blocked the side strike with a side block using the sword, and once again lashed out with his foot. This time, his target was the knees. Since his opponent's knees were slightly bent, it was easier to locate them this time.

There was a pop, and the thin thief went down in a howl of agony as he clutched at his damaged joint.

Takaya let out a breath of relief, and noticed that the law had finally caught up to the situation. _A bit late, I suppose…_

The other teen stared at him with wide eyes, just about filled with awe.

Before either could say a word, the two law enforcers took in what they could of the situation; someone important down, one unconscious thief and one moaning thief, and an unknown teenager that stood, armed with a katana.

"Drop the weapon!" the police decided to go after Takaya, who was the only one that still had his sword.

Takaya couldn't say he was too surprised that they demanded this, since, due to the fact that they hadn't seen the fight, his position looked fairly bad. He didn't expect, however, to be tackled to the ground shortly after he relinquished his sword to the ground.

One officer all but sat on him and pulled Takaya's arms painfully behind his back, while the other one came over and pressed the teen's cheek into the dirt of the street with his foot, while his other hand reached for his katana.

As the officer started to rattle off crimes that Takaya didn't commit, he could vaguely hear the panicked shouts of his brother.

"Niisan!" Shun had pushed forward through some of the crowd that that had gathered now that the danger was over. None of them, of course, put in a word for the downed teen, and figured that he would lose his head or be punished severely for not only fighting, but being in possession of a weapon.

"Stay back, Shun!" Takaya shouted over the whispers of the crowd.

Shun skidded to a halt as tears rolled down his cheeks. He knew what the punishment would be if he raised one of their katanas to the officers, but he couldn't just let htem hurt or kill his brother!

Thus, he turned to the officers, gave a quick bow, then launched into the tale. "Niisan was just helping! The sword…we're from a family that makes them! We were selling them in the market, when these thieves showed up, and…!"

"Silence!" the freed katana that the standing officer had out pointed in Shun's direction.

Shun opened his mouth as if to protest, when he was cut off.

"Shun! Don't argue with them! Just…it's okay." Takaya frowned, and couldn't look his brother in the eye. He was doomed, after all.

Shun rubbed at his wet eyes, which shone with regret as he bit his lip.

Takaya mustered up a grin to reassure his brother, and hoped that they didn't kill him on the spot. The last thing he wanted to do was traumatize his brother. If Shun had to witness a public execution, that was bad. It was even worse if it was _Takaya's_ public execution.

"S-stop!"

It wasn't Shun, nor was it any of the people gathered.

Rather, it was the teen that had been under attack.

Said teen got shakily to his feet, and stood as tall as he could.

The two officers turned to look at him.

"But…" one started.

The teen shook his head. "Release him! He…he saved my life!"

Takaya idly wondered who this kid was that was able to talk to the officers like that.

The unnamed teen gestured to the two unconscious thieves. "Those two…attempted to rob me! I…was separated from otou-sama on our way in…got lost…and they jumped me. When I wound up here…he…"

Here, a gesture was made in Takaya's direction.

"…was the only one…to stand up to them. Release him!"

The officers, much to the surprise of the crowd, actually did as they were told.

The first one let go of Takaya's hands and stood up, while the second finally lifted his foot from Takaya's head and stepped back.

"R-restrain the thieves!" the mystery teen ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the two went about their chore.

The teen turned to look at a shocked Takaya, who had gotten uncertainly to his feet.

"I…wish you to…follow me. My father…is probably waiting. I'd like…to introduce you." As the mystery teen said this, he brushed off some of the dirt from his haori and clothing.

Takaya's eyes widened, Shun's eyes were as big as saucer plates, and a gasp rippled through the crowd when they caught sight of what had been hidden by dirt and mud before on the teen's clothes.

The royal symbol patched onto the haori…

…the teen was Ren Mihashi, the heir to the most wealthy shoen family (that might as well be daimyo class), the Mihashi family.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Chapter 2

Still don't own, so still no suing. ;p

I try not to use too much Japanese in my stories, but I felt that putting some of the terms into this one gives it more of a rustic feel.

Chapter notes/new terms:

-dono: Polite way of addressing someone of royal or official status

Yojimbo: Samurai bodyguard

* * *

Chapter 2

When Takaya had first seen Ren Mihashi, he thought that it was just another son of a merchant, perhaps one that made outfits. The boy didn't carry any of the confidence that one would think the son of a lord should have.

Takaya certainly hadn't expected the boy to be anyone famous, let alone the son of Reiichi Mihashi, the land owner of their area. Oh, he had heard that the man had a son, but like most in the lower two classes, he never saw the boy. The shoen, himself, rarely went into the merchant area, and only did under disguise. Thus, Takaya had only glimpsed the man once or twice.

Now, as he stood before the black haired shoen, who was decked out in noble clothing that was seated on a horse, Takaya felt both afraid and awed at the same time.

Of course, he knew his manners, and bowed immediately when he came upon the man and the yojimbo that guarded him on foot.

Reiichi raised an eyebrow, particularly at his son. "Who is this, Ren?"

At that, Ren paused a moment. Then, the shrugged sheepishly. "I…I'm not sure. But, he…saved me. When…when I got lost, um…some thieves…tried to k-kill and r-rob me, and he saved me!"

Takaya pushed down the heat that had spread to his cheeks when Reiichi turned a smile in his direction. Rather, he kept his head bowed humbly, and his mouth shut. He might have looked composed in the eyes of Reiichi, Ren, and the yojimbo, but inside, he was squirming with anxiety.

"Saved my son, eh? What's your name?" Reiichi finally spoke.

Since he had been granted permission to speak, and also had been asked a question, the teen obliged by giving an answer. "Takaya, sir."

"Good, solid name…and your surname?"

Takaya's head shot up in surprise. Finally, he managed the two syllable word, "Abe."

"Abe Takaya…" Reiichi seemed to approve.

Takaya shifted nervously at the use of his surname. After all, it wasn't common for people to use the surnames of those that weren't nobles.

Reiichi seemed to understand by Takaya's body language. "Oh, don't worry. Since you saved my son's life, you and the rest of your family are free to use your surname."

Takaya felt a tear come to his eye as he was honestly touched, but he pushed it away by blinking and bowed at the waist. "Thank you very much, sir!"

Reiichi waved it off. "Not a problem. So, just how did you save my son?"

Takaya straightened back up. "I…didn't know it was him, sir. I just saw someone that appeared to be my age being harassed by a couple thieves, and didn't wish him harm."

Ren picked up the story, since Takaya left out just about all the details. "It…it was amazing, otou…otou-sama!" He seemed to correct himself on what to call his father since they were in public.

Reiichi quirked a brow in anticipation.

Ren gleefully gave it. "He…he came in…his family…they make katanas, and he came in with one…and s-stopped the thieves! H-he fought them when they were about to h-hurt me!"

Takaya tried not to twitch at the teen's disjointed way of talking. Perhaps the kid was bullied at one point or another? Maybe some of the samurai looked down on him for his exotic appearance or something, so he didn't have confidence? Whatever the reason, it was just slightly annoying.

Perhaps he managed to keep quiet since Ren was singing praises about him as the teen recounted what had happened, and how Takaya had managed to disarm and down his opponents without shedding blood.

At the end of the story, Reiichi turned to Takaya. "It seems as if you managed to get an injury out of the scuffle, however."

Takaya started, then glanced at his shoulder. Honestly, it had stopped bleeding a while ago, and while he was slightly abashed to stand in the presence of Mihashi-sama while dirty from not just the fight, but the guards pushing him to the ground, he was also shell shocked at the entire proceeding.

That, and how Ren looked at him as if he were some sort of hero.

It was somewhat cute…but more disturbing than cute.

Takaya immediately flushed the idea, and wondered if he had taken a knock to the head to think of something or someone as 'cute'. His little brother was 'cute', but…Shun was family! It was different!

…right?

Finally, Takaya managed to get his mouth working again. "It's nothing serious, sir."

Reiichi seemed to contemplate something as Ren gave his father a pleading look.

Takaya didn't know what was going on in the silent conversation, and though he didn't regret saving the other teen, he wished it had just been a commoner. He felt as if things were moving so quickly that he couldn't get a handle on them.

"That settles it, then." Reiichi came to a conclusion. "You can come back to the manor with us. We'll get you fixed up, and you can start training to be a samurai. I'll grant your family a higher stipend, and use of the surname, as well."

Takaya nearly passed out from shock, and just about mimicked Ren's way of speech as he attempted to say _something_, even to thank the man. He couldn't decline, since this was the order of a noble, and honestly, it would be best for his family.

He just didn't rightly know _what_ to say.

"Besides…Ren seems to have taken a liking to you. That's good. Some of the other yojimbo tend to give him a slightly harder time, which is why I almost constantly need new guards. They can't have anything against him. My wife, too…one would think they're foreigners! Imagine…_foreigners_! In _Japan_! Hardly an ounce of sense, that. Even the Mongols couldn't get in; we're not about to let anyone else in. I digress. Point is, there really isn't anyone his age he can hang around, so it might be beneficial to Ren, as well, for you to join."

Takaya could only nod dumbly. When he finally got his mouth working again, he managed to stammer out a 'thank you'.

Reiichi didn't seem to mind the teen's sudden inability to speak; he could tell that Takaya was on overload.

Ren cheered and jumped up and down happily. "You get to come live with us, Takaya!" He knew he could call Takaya by his surname, but it felt more like they were friends by calling him by his given name. Besides, he figured that's what Takaya was used to, and might not respond right away to being called 'Abe'.

"Y-yea…" Takaya managed a weak smile at the other teen. _How the hell did I end up in this situation? Just this morning, I was pulling Shun away from the noble district, and setting up shop like normal…and now, I'm to be, from the sounds of it, a personal bodyguard for the son of the most prestigious noble in the area? If that cut on my shoulder didn't hurt from time to time, I'd think I was dreaming. _

As Ren got onto the horse behind his father, Takaya paled.

Shun! Kaasan and tousan, too…they'll be better off, but does this mean I won't get to see them anymore? I…couldn't even say anything to them. Shun…he must have assumed the worst; he sees me carted off by the heir to the Mihashi family, and I don't return…

"Are you alright?" Reiichi noticed the teen's pallor, and wondered if the cut was deeper than it looked. Perhaps the teen had taken a knock to the head during the fight, or when the guards muscled him to the ground?

Takaya looked up, his eyes reflecting the inner turmoil and fear that he didn't dare express aloud. "I…I'm alright, sir…"

Reiichi looked as if he didn't believe him, and Ren was all but panicking that there might be something wrong, but the noble just let it drop. Or perhaps…

"I'll contact your family to let them know. I'm not as cold hearted as some nobles are; I'm not going to bar you from ever seeing them again. For now, you'll have to stay with us as you receive your training. I'll send your family notice of this so they do not worry."

Takaya was, once again, struck speechless as he stood in awe. Finally, he bowed; not only in respect and gratitude, but to hide the tears that managed to escape from his eyes.

Shun wouldn't have to go on believing that he had been killed…

Takaya was relieved beyond words. Once again, he could only stammer out a soft 'thank you'.

* * *

The Mihashi mansion was large, as per usual for mansions that belonged to the noble class. Takaya had only ever seen it from a distance, but up close, it was both awe inspiring and intimidating.

It wasn't quite castle-sized, but it was still gigantic. There were two almost distinct sections; one was smaller and had two stories, while the other was larger and was three stories. Takaya guessed that the smaller one was the section that housed the servants and bodyguards.

I'm going to be required to live here for now on. I'm going to be required to serve Mihashi-dono and his son as a bodyguard; a samurai. This is…intense.

To put it mildly, at least.

Takaya hadn't paid much attention to the father-son conversation that had occurred on the way there, as he had been trying to figure out how this drastic change in his life had really occurred after his arm was bandaged and they had gone on their merry way.

There was even a small stable off to one side, Takaya noted, as he saw one of the samurai lead the horse off in that direction while Reiichi and Ren now stood on the ground. There was a small river that ran along the other side of the mansion, and the rest was surrounded by grass and dirt.

Ren was nearly bursting with excitement, and even Reiichi sported a giant grin.

"We'll have to get you a schedule to be trained up. From the description Ren gave me, you already know a little swordsmanship," Reiichi stated.

Takaya nearly panicked, since commoners weren't supposed to have that sort of knowledge. "It's only because I had to test the durability of my father's blades…!"

Reiichi chuckled. "No need to get defensive. You're not in trouble for your knowledge. In fact, if it weren't for your knowledge, I'd be mourning my son right now."

Ren had paled a bit at that, but quickly recovered, since he, himself, had admitted how close to demise he had come.

"I have a couple senior guards that I trust who can train you, I just need to speak with them. While I do, Ren can give you a small tour…"

Ren cheered.

"…of the stead. I'll be assigning you as Ren's personal bodyguard, on his request."

This time, Ren flushed a bit and played with his fingers nervously.

Takaya glanced from father to son, then back at the man before he managed to nod and bow.

"Well, I'll let Ren get on with giving you a tour of the barracks and mansion, then we'll all meet back when he's finished, and I should have a schedule and trainer for you by then," Reiichi finished. "Ren, you know where to meet up."

"Y-yes!" Ren nodded eagerly.

Reiichi ruffled his son's hair, then flashed Takaya a friendly smile before he strode off, flanked by two guards.

Ren turned to Takaya and indicated for them to head inside as well, while the final guard followed them.

Takaya glanced at the man with the swords a moment, then back at Ren.

"H-he'll go back to the barracks w-with us. Otou-sama trusts me with you…and…I trust you…so…I'll be giving the rest of the tour solo."

"Ah…okay, Mihashi-dono." Takaya managed to get out.

Ren pouted a moment, then declared, "Call me 'Ren'!"

Takaya blinked, startled, and even Ren appeared slightly abashed by his proclamation.

The guard merely blinked, then shook his head as if in exasperation.

"Um…okay…Ren-dono…"

Ren sighed in disappointment, but figured it was better than being called by his surname, at least. It made it feel like they were more of friends than just lord and vassal. He longed for a friend, since he didn't have any siblings, and didn't know anyone else his age since he never met the families of the guards, and hadn't met another noble family that had a kid his age.

Plus, something had drawn him to Takaya almost instantly. It had been a bit of hero-worship at first, and maybe, there was still some remaining since the other teen _had_ saved his life. However, there was something more that lurked under the surface, and if he were to find out what exactly that 'something' was, he would have to start by making friends with Takaya.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Chapter 3

I still don't own the series!

Chapter notes/new terms:

Yes, that character that appears is Hatake. His first/given name is Atsushi, and going in tradition of using the first name for characters (though, samurai might have been granted their family name), that's what he's called. I couldn't dig up a first/given name for Yoshi (one of the other Mihoshi players that had bullied Mihashi).

Seppuku: Ritual suicide where the person doing it slits their own abdomen, and there is usually a "second" that chops off their head afterwards

* * *

Chapter 3

Takaya had been busy in the month that he had come to stay at the Mihashi mansion, but he wasn't too busy to notice the way Ren behaved around him. The boy would watch him train, and would always trot over to him with a word of "nice work" or "good job" at the end.

Even during mealtime, Ren had insisted that Takaya ate with them, which was something only the top and elite guards got to do. Not only with them, however, but just about next to Ren, himself.

Takaya didn't know what to make of it at first; perhaps Ren was just being overly friendly, or still had a case of hero worship?

Reiichi obviously knew of his son's attachment to Takaya, but like Takaya, figured it was hero-worship.

However, as the month dragged on, other events started to happen. Takaya once woke in the early hours to use the toilet, and swore that Ren was _watching_ him leave. Thank goodness the fair-haired teen didn't watch him use the bathroom, at least…

…that would have just been plain creepy.

It annoyed Takaya at first, with how much Ren seemed to cling to him. At the same time, it made him feel good. At home, he was valued a little more than Shun since he was older and could learn the trade earlier, but none of his commoner friends had really put much stock into him. In that case, it was nice to be valued.

After yet another month, Takaya began to notice that these weren't just coincidences, and it couldn't still be hero-worship. Ren was the same age as him, not Shun's age. Hero worship at a teen level didn't last long, as far as Takaya figured, since the older someone was, the more realistic of a view they had of the world.

What was even more confusing was that the annoyance towards Ren's behavior had all but vanished to be replaced with something akin to fondness.

Did that mean they were friends?

Takaya tried to think about it whenever he got time alone, which wasn't often. He was either following a strict schedule for training to be Ren's bodyguard, or with the teen in question. It was usually at night when Takaya would lay on his futon and try to piece together what had become of his life and just what Ren was to him.

Of course, that never lasted too long since he would drift off to sleep mid-thought more often than not.

Thus, as the third month passed and they started to head into the colder season, Takaya couldn't help but wonder just what exactly he was to Ren; a bodyguard? A hero? A friend?

Or was it something more, since Takaya always felt a strange pull whenever he was around Ren, which had started a month ago.

As if things weren't complicated enough…

* * *

It was completely accidental when Takaya discovered some of the cause of Ren's stammering. He had to admit that, as confusing as Ren was, he liked the other guy, and could certainly get the idea into his head of being the teen's bodyguard.

Today, Ren was watching the training that Takaya went through, just like usual when the teen didn't have other activities to attend to.

Practice had ended, and after complimenting Takaya on his improvement and how easily he picked up the techniques, the teacher walked off.

That left Takaya (and Ren, who hovered in the background a bit) with a couple of the other students.

Takaya didn't really want anything to do with the other guards. They were older than him, though only by a couple years, and he was always wary of other people in general.

As he toweled off, however, he heard their conversation.

"Hey…Mihashi-dono's kid came to watch again," a large, slightly overweight guard with an almost shaved head said to one of his companions. Atsushi was his name, if Takaya remembered right.

"He watches a lot these days." Another with short brown hair agreed. Yoshi, Takaya believed.

"I don't mind guarding Mihashi-dono, but if they put me under his kid, I'd rather cut my own stomach." Atsushi grunted. "His stammering drives me crazy!"

"Same. I think one of the older guards once took an interest in him at some time, or picked on him or whatever. That's the rumor I heard." Yoshi drew his finger across his neck to let them know what the fate of that guard had been.

"Bit much for a wimp." Atsushi sneered. "That guard was an idiot to have gotten caught."

Takaya nearly gaped, as Ren was close enough to hear every word that these guys were saying.

Ren had his head bowed, so his expression wasn't visible, but his shoulders were hunched slightly and obviously tense.

Yoshi laughed. "I'll say! Though, maybe he just offed himself when he heard he had to be the guy's guard. How degrading is that? To be a guard for someone probably half your age that stammers all the time? Wouldn't be able to tell he's a noble if it weren't for his family!"

Atsushi snickered. "Yea. More like a peasant or Hinin."

Takaya slammed his towel down on the nearby bench hard enough that it drew the attention of the two guys. "You guys make me sick. Not to mention that I think it's considered treason to talk about the one you serve like that."

Atsushi raised an eyebrow. "I don't serve that _loser_. I serve Mihashi-dono."

Takaya grinned coldly. "Not sure if there's enough activity going on in that brain of yours to realize it, but Ren is the son of Mihashi-dono. That means you serve _him_, too."

Atsushi stood to his full height, which was admittingly more than Takaya had to offer.

Yoshi, too, got to his feet. Though he was shorter than Atsushi, he was still taller than Takaya.

Though, that could be because the two of them were somewhere between 18 and 21 years of age. Takaya didn't remember exactly how old they were, and at the moment, that didn't matter.

"Did you just call me stupid, new kid?" Atsushi snarled.

Takaya crossed his arms as if he didn't have a potentially hostile situation leering over him. "What if I did? Do you know what will happen if I tell Mihashi-dono what you two were talking about?"

Atsushi reached out and grabbed Takaya by the front of his dogi. "Do that, and I'll make sure that I kill you."

"Before or after your head rolls?" Takaya shot back.

Ren could only stand there and gawk at the situation that had unfolded. At the moment, they were the only four out there on the training grounds, and if something happened, he wasn't very confident in his own abilities to break it up.

Atsushi's hand tightened. "Friendly reminder…I'm bigger and stronger than you. I suggest, kid, that you watch your mouth."

Takaya rolled his eyes. "Is that supposed to scare me? You're too dense to win a verbal battle, so you have to resort to threatening? Whether you're bigger and stronger doesn't matter, or haven't you been paying attention to sensei? Besides, I hardly call this a 'friendly' reminder, particularly seeing that I wouldn't want to be _your_ friend…"

Ren yelped, and Takaya was cut off when Atsushi struck out and caught the younger teen in the jaw with his free hand.

"Shut that damn mouth of yours or I'll shut it for you! What's your problem, anyway! We're not the only ones that think he's a wimp!" Atsushi gestured to Ren when he said 'he'.

Takaya coughed, then spat out blood from a split lip. It had hurt, and he had to admit that Atsushi packed one hell of a punch, but there were plenty of dangers the way he had previously lived. To him, Atsushi was just a thug with a little samurai training.

If the situation was going to go sour, and Takaya knew it would the second he opened his mouth to oppose them, he would rather they be too angry to remember what they were taught and that their swords still lay out in the open.

"I'm sure you're not. But you're the only one stupid enough to talk about it in front of someone that might care enough to tell you to shut the hell up." Takaya knew he was treading dangerous waters, but he just couldn't stand back and let them keep insulting Ren.

Perhaps he could have changed and cooled down elsewhere, or pulled Ren away from the two, but that would only be running away; Atsushi and Yoshi would continue to run their mouths if he didn't do something.

This time, it was a strike to his eye.

However, Atsushi had made the age old mistake of having one hand occupied and forgetting about everything else.

Takaya didn't let him retract the fist, and just pushed the pain to the corner of his mind as he grabbed Atsushi's arm, spun his body (which effectively broke the hold Atsushi had on his shirt), shoved his back up against the taller guy, then kicked back as he rolled his body forward a bit.

The result was that Atsushi flew head over heels, and over Takaya's head as well, to land on his back in the dirt.

Takaya didn't let go of the hand, however, and instead, held it twisted to the side a bit by the fleshy part in a joint lock.

Atsushi howled in pain as he tried to get Takaya to let go, but he was obviously fighting a losing battle.

"Asshole…!" Yoshi threw himself at Takaya.

Takaya hadn't forgotten about Yoshi, so he was ready when the man lunged. Of course, he hadn't quite calculated the weight difference, since Yoshi was apparently heavier than he looked, and when he came flying at someone, he was even heavier (at least, that's what it felt like).

So, when Takaya had snapped out his foot to catch Yoshi in the chest, it didn't slow the man down enough, and Takaya went sprawling to the ground.

Yoshi was winded, however, and coughed as he attempted to get air back in his lungs.

Takaya grimaced and pushed himself to his feet after the jarring fall.

Atsushi, now freed of the hold, was on his feet and even more livid than ever.

"S-stop it!" Ren called to them, surprised by his own audacity to speak up in the situation. However, he had quickly realized that he was the only one that could do something.

Takaya dropped his guard a bit to glance at Ren, and that was when Atsushi struck.

The heavier man ploughed right into Takaya, which resulted in both of them on the ground, Atsushi on top as he pushed Takaya's head into the dirt.

"Try and say it, now!" Atsushi snarled, eyes wide with adrenaline. "Go ahead and try and use that big mouth of yours now, bastard!"

Takaya gasped for breath between the crushing weight on his back and the side of his face pressed into the ground.

Yoshi hesitated, however, since he had heard Ren's command to stop. He wasn't above gossiping and teasing, but disobeying one of the people you serve was something else entirely.

Atsushi grabbed Takaya's left arm with his free hand and pulled it behind the teen's back as he continued his crushing force. "How do you like it, now? How do you like the taste of dirt, worm? If you beg, _maybe_ I'll consider forgiving you!"

"Atsushi…let's stop." Yoshi pleaded nervously.

"Fuck no!" Atsushi glanced back at the other. "He mouthed off to us, Yoshi!"

"Yea, he has a big mouth, but he was right. Besides…you're disobeying orders."

That was neither Yoshi nor Ren, which caused all the boys to turn and see who had just arrived.

The person that they laid eyes on made Atsushi break into a cold sweat, and Yoshi to tremble.

Ren, however, was relieved. "Otou-sama!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. Chapter 4

Again, I don't own Oofuri!

No notes or new terms (a tatami mat is self-explanatory; it's a Japanese mat, where a few of them are used to cover the floor of a room), so enjoy the final chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4

Reiichi Mihashi usually had a smile on his face, and was typically an easy going guy. However, this time, his mouth was twisted in a grimace, and his eyes blazed with anger as he gazed at the scene. "Get off him."

Atsushi immediately scrambled to his feet, and stood nervously at attention.

Reiichi turned to his son as Takaya coughed and sputtered on the ground. "What happened?"

Ren shook his head, tears in his eyes that rolled down his cheeks as he glanced at Takaya now and then. Finally, he seemed to steel his resolve enough to respond. "Th-they were picking at me…and…and Takaya…told them to stop. That…that they were stupid for saying bad things…a-and then…Atsushi…grabbed him, and…and hit him…"

Slowly and unsteadily, the story poured out of the young noble.

Through it all, Atsushi had grown increasingly nervous, and even Yoshi fidgeted even though he hadn't participated as much in the heckling and the fight.

Reiichi, if possible, looked even more cross than he had when the fight first started once he learned what had transpired. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he had a soft spot for Takaya; the teen was like a blessing in disguise for Ren, and he had noticed that Ren was happier than he had been in a long time since Takaya appeared in their lives.

He could even overlook the fact that Takaya had instigated a bit of the fight by insulting Atsushi and Yoshi. Thinking about it, he could understand the reason; the weapons were still in plain sight. Had Takaya just opposed them without getting them angry enough to forget about the weapons, there would have been more blood spilled than just a split lip.

"Ren." Reiichi looked at his son a moment. "Take Takaya inside and help him get cleaned up." His gaze turned back to the two trembling men. "I'll handle this."

"Okay." Ren nodded, then offered Takaya a hand up.

Takaya blinked, surprised that he wasn't scolded, and accepted the help. _Maybe Mihashi-dono understood what I was thinking by instigating them?_

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Reiichi inquired briefly.

"Ah…no, sir." Takaya was sure that he would be a bit sore the next day, particularly his back and chest from having Atsushi's weight on him, but aside from the split lip and the growing bruise under his left eye, he was uninjured.

Reiichi nodded, then indicated to his son for the two to get out of the area.

Whatever was going to happen wasn't going to be pretty, whether it be yelling or something more drastic.

Ren and Takaya were more than happy to comply with that order.

* * *

Takaya tried not to cringe as Ren handed him a tied cloth filled with ice to hold to his cheek. Everything else had been taken care of, and he was changed out of his dirty clothing as the two sat in one of Ren's rooms.

"Sorry…if that scared you…" Takaya mumbled as he gingerly held the bag of ice to his cheek.

Ren shook his head. "I…wanted to…thank you. For standing up for me. I've heard them…talk about me before. Others do it, too. The…the way I talk, they make fun of. Nobody's…spoken out about it, though."

Takaya blinked in surprise. "No one?"

Ren frowned and shook his head.

"What about your father?"

"He…didn't know about it. I…didn't tell him." Ren cringed back as if he expected to be hit for that admission.

"Hah?" Takaya exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't you tell him!"

Ren twiddled his thumbs nervously. "I…was afraid…of what would happen…if I did."

"Your father doesn't strike me as the type that would order seppuku for something like this…"

Ren shook his head. "N-no that! He…he wouldn't. But…if they ever got back at me, then…"

"Oh." Takaya understood. "You were afraid of their retaliation against you."

Ren nodded miserably.

Takaya sighed. "Look, you can't be afraid all the time, especially if it's your own health that's in question. They might not have been hurting you physically, but they were hurting you mentally. That's not okay. You're aware of that, right?"

Ren sniffled as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Takaya groaned. "I feel like I'm bullying you…"

Ren shook his head and wiped his eyes, though there were still some tears.

"I'm just saying that you can't let people walk all over you all the time. Yea, you tried to stop them, and I'm glad you didn't try to physically restrain Atsushi, but you have to project your voice a bit more if you want them to listen."

Ren blinked wetly and looked up quizzically.

"Do you get what I'm saying?" Takaya queried.

Ren stared at him blankly, then nodded.

Takaya sighed again. _Obviously not._ "I'm not saying to yell…but did you watch how your father handled those two?"

"Y-yea…"

"He spoke crisply, and self confidently. Even if you're scared, you have to sound confident about what you're saying. Get it?"

Ren blinked a couple of times.

Takaya figured that he wasn't going to get the point across unless he came up with a better example. "Okay…you know how I stood up to Atsushi when he was insulting you, and then started to mouth off to him?"

Ren nodded. He could follow that much, at least…

"I seemed confident, right? Atsushi took me seriously."

Again, Ren nodded. "Y-you were c-cool!"

Takaya grinned. "Hate to break your image, but I was scared stiff underneath."

Ren nearly gawked. "R-really?"

Ah, there was the light of understanding Takaya had been looking for that suddenly reached Ren's eyes.

So, the dark haired teen smiled. "Yep. It was right after training…at any time, Atsushi or Yoshi could have decided to pick up a sword and try to impale me. I was well aware of that, so I got them angry enough for them to forget about it. The chance was still there, though. So, even though I sounded all confident, there was still that voice of doubt."

"I…think I understand…but…I don't understand, then, why you did it. Why you stood up to them…like that…when you could have been r-really hurt…" Ren trailed off and frowned, then looked away. "Is…is it…because you have to…?"

Takaya rolled his eyes and put the ice pack down, then shifted closer to poke Ren gently on the forehead. "Moron. I did it because I like you."

Ren rubbed his forehead and stared up at Takaya in shock, awe, and something else that the other couldn't identify.

Takaya felt heat rise to his cheeks, though he had no clue why.

Then, Ren moved forward. "I…!" the rest of his sentence was cut off when his hand hit the cloth of ice on the ground, which caused him to slip and pitch forward.

Takaya's eyes widened as he twisted around in an attempt to catch the other teen and prevent a face plant to the tatami mat.

The result, after a 'thud' and a 'crash', was Ren on top of Takaya…

…with their lips locked together.

It was a moment of shock for both boys, before Ren leapt away like a frightened cat and Takaya shot up to a seated position and scooted to the other side of the room.

Both were red-faced, and both were in a state of disbelief.

Ren stared at the wall, too embarrassed to look at Takaya.

Takaya, as well, was too mortified to look back at Ren. It wasn't just about the accidental kiss, however. It was because he had _enjoyed_ it. That thought scared him somewhat. He knew that he liked Ren, and the boy obviously liked him back, but was it something _more_?

He had wondered it for a while, now. Not knowing much about love, his musings had typically come to an abrupt halt. It was wrong for two guys to fall in love, wasn't it? Let alone an artisan and a noble…

Takaya felt his lips a moment, then glanced hesitantly over his shoulder in time to catch Ren do the same.

The two instantly turned back to look at their respective corners as their faces heated up again.

Takaya was cursing himself. Nothing made _sense_. He didn't know how he felt, or what anything was supposed to feel like, but eh couldn't deny that he liked the impromptu kiss. He couldn't deny that he didn't like having Ren near him.

Unknown to Takaya, Ren entertained the same sort of thought line.

In fact, it was Ren that grew bold about it, mostly because of Takaya's speech earlier. The other teen had shared something that had made him nervous…and there would always be times when he was a little scared, but had to move forward.

Ren didn't think he would be putting that into practice so soon, but he couldn't deny what he felt from being around Takaya and that kiss, as well.

"I like Takaya, too," Ren said, in a voice so quiet that it wouldn't have been heard in a noisy room. There was a hint of fear in his tone, but he tried to project the confidence that the other had spoken of earlier. "I…might…more than normal…"

Takaya gulped, then took a deep breath and let it out before he turned around.

Ren had turned a bit to face him, though he was obviously nervous.

Takaya figured that, if someone like Ren could get over the fear of putting these strange feelings out in the open, then so could he.

Ren watched as Takaya slowly eased himself back towards the center of the room.

"I…don't really understand all of this, to be honest," Takaya began. "I know I feel something different, and something more…more than just friends, you know?"

Ren had started to scoot closer, as well, to hear.

Takaya normally talked loudly, but at the moment, he was just as quiet as the other teen, so Ren had to move a bit to make sure he was hearing it right.

"It might be frowned on, too, you know…" Takaya trailed off.

Ren glanced to the side a moment, then back at the other with a determined expression on his face. "Nobody has to know."

Takaya considered that. It would be a little difficult to hide it all the time, but Reiichi had a lot of duties as a noble, and there were plenty of times when Ren would normally be alone (if it weren't for Takaya). Plus, the nobles were given a lot of privacy, and Ren was no exception to that.

"I…I liked that. Even though…it was an accident…" Ren stammered.

Takaya realized with a start that the two had moved close to each other again, but then relaxed somewhat. Whether it was love or something else, Ren obviously felt the same way, so he didn't have to be afraid of that.

"Did…you…?"

"Yea. I liked it, too," Takaya admitted.

Ren stared a moment, then smiled brightly.

Takaya was almost taken aback by the brightness of that smile, but then found himself smiling back.

What had they been so afraid of? It seemed silly, now that Takaya thought about it. Over a month of brooding on the topic, and it had all just happened naturally, and quite accidentally.

"Can…can I…? Not as…an accident…this time…" Ren stammered.

It took Takaya a moment to realize what the other had just asked, but he finally realized it between the teen's body language and the blush.

Takaya felt his cheeks heat up once again. "I…don't know what I'm doing…"

"N-neither do I…so it's okay…"

Takaya chuckled and slowly took Ren's hand. When the other didn't pull back, the dark haired teen smiled. "I want to, as well."

It was still innocent, it was still something totally new to them, and it was still confusing. However, there were two things that the two knew for certain as they leaned towards each other: They both felt it…and it was their little secret.

**END**

* * *

Before anyone lights their torches and grabs their pitchforks because I'm ending it there, I'm not good at writing romance (realistic, at least…anyone that's read my Digimon fics will probably agree), or anything more in-depth than "moments" (like I have in my Detective Conan fics).

It would be an insult to you (the readers) if I tried to write a romantic scene, so I'll leave the rest of what happens (and their relationship) up to your imaginations.

Same with what happened to Hatake and Yoshi, though it was hinted that they would be kicked out rather than committing seppuku (figured I'd put that explanation in there since there's bound to be at least one person that asks).


End file.
